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Trump shot at rally in failed assassination attempt. Here’s everything we know so far.
Former President Donald Trump was shot and injured in an assassination attempt on Saturday night that also killed a spectator and critically injured two others. Snipers killed the shooter, a 20-year-old man, after he fired eight rounds at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The former president could be seen touching his ear as the shooting unfolded before he was shielded by Secret Service and whisked offstage — with blood on his face — and into an SUV to safety. Trump said in a social media post that a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear.
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he said. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images
The Secret Service later said Trump was safe, and that he went to a local hospital and left hours later.
The gunman was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper, authorities said.
Who shot Donald Trump?
The FBI identified the shooter early Sunday as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The town in Allegheny County, just outside Pittsburgh, is home to about 30,000 people.
Law enforcement officials say he was armed with a semiautomatic AR-style rifle. Two law enforcement sources say the gun was legally purchased by and registered to the shooter’s father, Matthew Crooks.
Crooks was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School School officials pledged to work with law enforcement investigating the shooting, and offered condolences to those affected by the attack.
Former classmate Jameson Myers, a member of the school’s varsity rifle team, told CBS News that Crooks had tried out for the team freshman year but did not make the junior varsity roster and did not return to try out for the team in subsequent years.
He called Crooks a “nice kid who never talked poorly of anyone,” adding, “I never have thought him capable of anything I’ve seen him do in the last few days.”
Another classmate, Jason Koehler, had a somewhat different view, telling KDKA’s Megan Schiller that Crooks was a loner who was bullied for his appearance and wore camo/hunting outfits in class. He said Crooks would often sit in the cafeteria alone before class. He also said Crooks was very COVID-conscious and wore a surgical mask long after they were required.
But Mark Sigafoos, who graduated with Crooks and had two classes with him senior year, said he never saw him bullied. He described Crooks as super smart and approachable, engaged in class and always volunteering answers.
“This is one of the things that is being misconstrued — he was not some type of loner trenchcoat wearer. And I will say he was definitely nerdy, for sure, but he never gave off that he was creepy or like a school shooter,” Sigafoos said. “He seemed like he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show he was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania but previously made a $15 donation to a Democratic-aligned group.
There was no indication that Crooks had a connection to any military branch, officials confirmed to CBS News.
A law enforcement official said early Sunday that the Secret Service and the FBI are investigating the suspect’s background and speaking with his family. The FBI has secured his home and federal law enforcement is searching his family’s residence in suburban Pittsburgh, the law enforcement official said. His family is cooperating with investigators, an FBI official said.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News on Sunday that suspicious devices were found in the gunman’s vehicle. The gunman also had with him a piece of commercially available equipment that appeared capable of initiating the devices. Bomb technicians called to the scene were involved in securing and investigating the devices.
Do we know the motive for the assassination attempt?
In a news conference late Saturday night, Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI Pittsburgh office, refused to speculate on a possible motive, but said authorities are investigating the shooting as an “attempted assassination.”
“Right now, we’re tracking down all leads, and doing all interviews, and tracking anything that we can regarding suspicious locations, vehicles … that’s all related to this event, but I can’t confirm or deny anything beyond that,” Rojek said.
A law enforcement official said early Sunday that no foreign terrorism ties were known and the suspect was not on the radar of law enforcement, although they were still running his name down.
The FBI says investigators are combing through his social media postings and emails, but that so far they have found nothing to lead them to a motive. They said are not seeing anything threatening in his postings so far.
Investigators also have his cellphone, which was sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis.
The FBI is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Secret Service and state and local agencies.
How is Trump now?
The Trump campaign said in a statement Saturday that the former president was ‘fine.” He was taken to a local hospital and left a few hours later.
In a post on Truth Social Saturday night, Trump described his injuries: “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
He thanked the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies for their rapid response, and extended condolences to the family of the man who was killed.
/ Getty Images
He posted on Truth Social early Sunday that Americans need to “remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.”
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” Trump wrote. “I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” where the Republican National Convention begins Monday.
Video posted by a Trump aide to social media early Sunday morning showed him walking down the steps of his plane unaided after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
Where was the Trump rally and how far away was the shooter?
The rally on Saturday was in Butler, Pennsylvania, which is north of Pittsburgh and is the county seat of Butler County.
The gunman was on the roof of a shed, outside the rally’s security perimeter set up by the Secret Service, and opened fire from about 400 feet away from the stage where Trump was speaking, law enforcement sources said.
Google Earth/CBS News
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News that the shooter was spotted outside the security perimeter as people were filing into the rally, and he was reported by a bystander to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. He was identified as a suspicious person by police, the sources said.
An armed municipal officer with Butler Township encountered the gunman before the shooting, Butler County Sheriff Michael Sloupe confirmed to CBS News. The officer and others had been previously alerted to a suspicious person and began searching for him right away, Sloupe told CBS Pittsburgh reporter Jen Borrasso.
At some point, the officer was hoisted by another officer onto the roof of the building where the shooter was in position. The shooter focused his rifle towards the officer, who let go and fell off the roof. Then the shooter began firing into the crowd, according to Sloupe.
The gunman fired 6 to 8 rounds using a semiautomatic AR-style rifle from his position approximately 400 feet from the podium, before he was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper team.
Rojek, with the FBI, called it “surprising” that the gunman was able to fire multiple shots.
“It is incredibly difficult to have a venue open to the public, and to secure that against any possible threat, against a very determined attacker,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said of the Secret Service. “That’s a huge lift to try and do it.”
Who was the rally victim who was fatally shot?
The spectator who was killed has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old man who was shot while attempting to shield his family from the gunfire, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference Sunday.
“Corey was the very best of us,” Shapiro said. “Corey died a hero. Corey dove on his family to protect them last night. Corey was a ‘girl dad.’ Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community.”
Pennsylvania State Rep. Marci Mustello called Comperatore “a devoted public servant, having served as the fire chief for Buffalo Township Fire Company, and he was a cherished member of our community in Butler County.”
“His commitment to his wife and two daughters, and his unwavering dedication to his role as a fire chief exemplified his remarkable character,” Mustello said. “My heart breaks for his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and I join the community in mourning his loss. A true American hero, Corey sacrificed his life to protect his family.”
“May Corey Comperatore’s memory be a blessing and a reminder of the selfless service he provided to us all.”
The two spectators who were wounded have been identified as 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Both were listed in critical but stable condition Sunday.
What did Biden say about the shooting?
President Biden first responded to the shooting in a statement saying he was grateful to hear that Trump was safe and doing well.
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety,” he said. “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
He then addressed the nation shortly after 8 p.m. ET Saturday, saying “there is no place for this kind of violence in America.”
“It’s sick. It’s sick,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
On Sunday, Biden made brief remarks at the White House, saying he was “sincerely grateful” that Trump is doing well, adding that he spoke with the former president on Saturday night. He characterized the call as a “short, good” conversation, and said he would address the nation from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. Sunday.
He has been getting briefed by top officials and said he has ordered an independent review of the security and events at the Pennsylvania rally to determine what went wrong.
Mr. Biden also called for unity in the wake of the assassination attempt and denounced political violence.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence for that matter,” the president said. “An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation. It’s not who we are as a nation.”
The president said unity is the “most elusive goal of all” and added that “nothing is more important than that right now. Unity.”
A Biden campaign official said Saturday that the campaign was pausing all outbound communications and working to take down their television ads as quickly as possible.
Robert Costa, Pat Milton, Andy Triay, Arden Farhi, Fin Gomez, Aaron Navarro, Sara Cook and other CBS News staff contributed reporting.
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Boeing workers going on strike after overwhelming vote to reject contract offer and walk off the job
Seattle — Machinists at Boeing voted Thursday to go on strike, another setback for the giant aircraft maker whose reputation and finances have been battered and now faces a shutdown in production of its best-selling airline planes.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said its members rejected a contract that would have raised pay 25% over four years, then voted 94.6% to reject the contract and voted 96% to strike. A two-thirds vote among 33,000 workers was needed to strike.
“This is about respect, this is about the past, and this is about fighting for our future,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said in announcing the vote.
Very little has gone right for Boeing this year, from a panel blowing out and leaving a gaping hole in one of its passenger jets in January to NASA leaving two astronauts in space rather sending them home on a problem-plagued Boeing spacecraft.
As long as the strike lasts, it will deprive Boeing of much-needed cash that it gets from delivering new planes to airlines. That will be another challenge for new CEO Kelly Ortberg, who six weeks ago was given the job of turning around a company that has lost more than $25 billion in the last six years and fallen behind European rival Airbus.
Ortberg warned machinists that a strike vote would put Boeing’s recovery in jeopardy and raise more doubt about the company in the eyes of its airline customers.
Workers were in no mood to listen.
Ortberg made a last-ditch effort to avert a strike, telling machinists Wednesday that “no one wins” in a walkout.
“For Boeing, it is no secret that our business is in a difficult period, in part due to our own mistakes in the past,” he said. “Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”
Many union members have posted complaints about the deal all week on social media. On Thursday, several dozen blew whistles, banged drums and held up signs calling for a strike as they marched to a union hall near Boeing’s 737 Max plant in Renton, Washington.
“As you can see, the solidarity is here,” said Chase Sparkman, a quality-assurance worker. “I’m expecting my union brothers and sisters to stand shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, and let our company know that, hey, we deserve more.”
The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would rise to $106,350 at the end of the four-year contract, according to Boeing.
However, the deal fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40% over three years. The union also wanted to restore traditional pensions that were axed a decade ago but settled for an increase in Boeing contributions to employee’s 401(k) retirement accounts.
Although the bargaining committee that negotiated the contract recommended ratification, Holden predicted earlier this week that workers would vote to strike.
Boeing worker Adam Vogel called the 25% raise “a load of crap. We haven’t had a raise in 16 years.”
Broderick Conway, another quality-assurance worker and 16-year Boeing employee, said the company can afford more.
“A lot of the members are pretty upset about our first offer. We’re hoping that the second offer is what we’re looking for,” he said. “If not … we’re going to keep striking and stand up for ourselves.”
The head of Boeing’s commercial-airplanes business, Stephanie Pope, tried earlier this week to discourage workers from thinking a strike would result in a better offer.
“We bargained in absolute good faith with the IAM team that represents you and your interests,” she said. “Let me be clear: We did not hold back with an eye on a second vote.”
Voting began at 5 a.m. local time at union halls in Washington state, Portland, Oregon, and a smattering of other locations.
A strike would stop production of the 737 Max, the company’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777 or “triple-seven” jet and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Everett and Renton, Washington, near Seattle. It likely would not affect Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are built by nonunion workers in South Carolina.
TD Cowen aerospace analyst Cai von Rumohr said it is realistic based on the history of strikes at Boeing to figure that a walkout would last into mid-November, when workers’ $150 weekly payments from the union’s strike fund might seem low going into the holidays.
A strike that long would cost Boeing up to $3.5 billion in cash flow because the company gets about 60% of the sale price when it delivers a plane to the buyer, von Rumohr said.
Union negotiators unanimously recommended that workers approve the tentative contract reached over the weekend.
Boeing promised to build its next new plane in the Puget Sound area. That plane – not expected until sometime in the 2030s – would replace the 737 Max. That was a key win for union leaders, who want to avoid a repeat of Boeing moving production of Dreamliners from Everett to South Carolina.
Holden told members Monday the union got everything it could in bargaining and recommended approval of the deal “because we can’t guarantee we can achieve more in a strike.”
Many union members, however, are still bitter about previous concessions on pensions, health care and pay.
“They are upset. They have a lot of things they want. I think Boeing understands that and wants to satisfy a fair number of them,” said von Rumohr, the aerospace analyst. “The question is, are they going to do enough?”
Boeing has seen its reputation battered since two 737 Max airliners crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The safety of its products came under renewed scrutiny after a panel blew out of a Max during a flight in January.
___
Koenig reported from Dallas.
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
9/13/2024 12:43:48 AM (GMT -4:00)
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Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa leaves field with concussion after collision with Bills’ Damar Hamlin
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out of Thursday night’s game with the Buffalo Bills because of a concussion after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the locker room.
Lynne Sladky / AP
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion.
Tagovailoa, who sustained multiple concussions his first three NFL seasons, positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
He signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left the game with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, which held as the final score.
Tagovailoa was hurt on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
He wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at Tagovailoa as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Skylar Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season.
Going into last season, Tagovailoa added muscle and spent time studying jiu-jitsu in an effort to learn how to fall more safely and try to protect himself against further injury.
